


nothing on my mind (junhao)

by chinasline



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, jun's really basic at first i'm sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-05-16 15:36:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14814128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chinasline/pseuds/chinasline
Summary: If he hadn't set his alarm so early, hadn't gone out of his dorm so early, hadn't gotten to school so early he still wouldn't have known him. A simple mistake, sure, but for Minghao, it was somehow turning disastrous.





	1. i'm dreaming of

Minghao didn't dream often which is why he found himself daydreaming regularly to make up for it. Tonight, he dreamed of home. The rare times he did dream, it was almost always about home. When he had these dreams, he never wanted to wake up. He yearned for the days of his past. His rest had been cut short though.

Minghao muttered under his breath. He accidentally set his alarm for 6:30, an hour earlier than when he would normally wake up. He didn't feel like setting the alarm again just to wake up a short time later. So he got up.

He looked across the room while he rubbed his sleepy eyes. Mingyu slept through the alarm. Minghao considered his options. He could wake Mingyu up now, or he could reset the alarm and move it closer to his side of the room to wake him up later. Minghao didn't want to be sitting in their dorm alone for two hours before either of them had their first class. That's when he picked up a pillow on his bed and threw over to Mingyu's side of the room.

Mingyu stirred before he slowly opened his eyes, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"What the hell? It's 6:30 in the morning," he groaned.

Minghao stretched his arms. "Yeah, I know. I set the alarm for an hour earlier by mistake."

"Why am I paying for _your_ mistake?"

"Because I'm not gonna sit around in this room all morning waiting for you to wake up."

"This is my dorm, basically. If I begin to think that you're becoming a bothersome roommate, I can figure out some way to get you kicked out," Mingyu challenged.

"Gyu, we both know that you would never do that to me."

Mingyu sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Minghao leaned over and turned on the bedside lamp. Mingyu squinted as the light met his eyes.

"Hao, I'm not making breakfast this morning. I'm way too tired to do that," Mingyu complained.

Minghao nodded in response. He didn't really care if he did or not.

"If you get ready, we can probably go to a café before we go to class," Minghao replied.

Mingyu doesn't respond. Minghao looked back over to his bed to find that he had fallen asleep. He rolled his eyes.

"Looks like someone needs their beauty sleep."

-

Minghao ended up at the café by himself. He didn't want to sit in that dorm much longer. Minghao always felt like he was intruding. Sure, he and Mingyu were best friends, but for  
some odd reason, Minghao couldn't shake any of his insecurity.

He ordered some kind of coffee. He had totally forgotten what he had ordered within seconds. As the barista handed him his coffee, he stuttered a quick thank you and went to go sit down by the window. It had begun to drizzle outside. A perfect morning to be in a café, he thought.

He sipped his coffee. Immediately, he recognized that what he had ordered was not at all what he thought he had. For some crazy reason, he had ordered black coffee. The taste was far too bitter for him, and he glanced down at the hot drink.

He wasn't going to let it go to waste, so he drank it as quick as he possibly could, thinking that maybe the taste wouldn't be so bad if he got it over with. He was wrong. Not only was the taste rather unpleasant, but he also burned his tongue in the process. A disgusted expression crossed his face momentarily before he stood up from his chair to discard the cup. Standing next to the doors, he pulled out his umbrella before walking out.

"So much for a café visit."

-

Minghao arrived to class much earlier than normal, despite efforts not to. The building was relatively empty as he first began to walk through, but he came upon a congested hallway as he was trying to get to his claas.

It was quiet except for the voice of a girl, who was yelling at somebody that Minghao could not see. He pushed himself through the crowd to get to his class, but it was no use. He eventually got stuck in a spot where no one would let him through, but at least he was able to see what all the commotion was about.

Two people were standing right next to the entrance of a library, a boy and a girl. He recognized the girl as an junior he had only met once when he first transferred. The boy, however, he did not recognize. Minghao presumed that the two were an item, and that they were having a fight right in front of everyone.

"You're so conceited, do you know that? You assume everybody wants you, and all you ever try to do is get in people's pants," the girl chided.

The boy said nothing as he stared blankly at the girl, whose face was turning bright red with anger. Minghao could not find any love in either of their eyes. After a few brief seconds of silence, the girl snapped and hit the boy across the face.

Gasps encircled Minghao. He felt the rumors spreading around like wildfire. His focus remained on the boy, who was no longer the priority of the student body. A red mark in the shape of a handprint rested on his left cheek, but the boy didn't seem hurt at all. The blank stare was the exact same as when she was still screaming at him.

"I hate you, Wen Junhui!" She screamed before stomping off.

The boy remained motionless, expressionless. The crowd began to slowly disperse as everyone headed to their respective classes, but Minghao didn't move. As Junhui turned back around, he made eye contact with Minghao. After giving him the small glance, he started walking to class. And Minghao did too.


	2. a bright night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if something is italicized in quotations, it's spoken in chinese!

"Minghao? Ah, Minghao! Snap out of it!" Chan exclaimed while clapping in front of Minghao's face.

Minghao looked up at Chan before looking at his friends around him.

"What's your deal? Why are you so out of it today?" Hansol asked him.

"I think it's just because I woke up earlier than normal. I drank coffee this morning, but it hasn't really helped me at all," Minghao replied.

"That's your fault then," Seungkwan interjected, "but at least it's Friday."

Minghao nodded in agreement and directed his attention to his lunch.

"Hey, so are you guys going to that party tonight?" Hansol asked without swallowing his food first.

"Whose party?" Chan questioned.

"Ah, some dude named Soonyoung. I heard somewhere that he always throws the best parties, but I've never been invited," Mingyu answered. "I think it's open invitation tonight, though."

Minghao tuned his friends out. He had no interest in going to parties with people he didn't know. It sounded like Mingyu wanted to go to this guy's party, which meant that Minghao would be alone in their dorm tonight. _Maybe I'll rent a movie_ , he thought. Then again, he hardly slept last night and would probably fall asleep in the middle of the film.

"Minghao should come!"

He had no idea who said it, but whoever it was seemed adamant.

"You know that's really not my thing," Minghao insisted, "I'll probably just stay in tonight. I'm awfully tired anyway."

"But Minghao, you've never been to a big party before! It would be really fun!" Chan persisted.

"I don't know, guys. I'm not really sure that it's a good idea."

"Please, Minghao?"

All of his them looked at him with expectancy, putting Minghao in an uncomfortable position. His will was growing weary, and he eventually gave in to his friends' demands.

"Fine," he sighs, "I'll go. But just this once."

They all cheered, feeling accomplished of themselves. Mingyu punched Minghao's arm in the process. Minghao was becoming slightly irritated with the bunch. Why was it so important for him to go to some party where he didn't know anyone? He just didn't get it.

 _I can't believe I got dragged into this_.

-

"Hey, Minghao. It's almost time to go," Mingyu yelled from the dorm's en suite.

Minghao finished touching up in their bedroom. He messed with his hair a little bit. When he was done, he just looked at himself in the mirror. His outfit was a short sleeved black t-shirt with black jeans. Nothing impressive, but he truly didn't care. There was nobody to impress, and he was exhausted.

Minghao walked out into the entrance of their dorm, hovering.

"Can we leave now? I want to get this over with as soon as possible," he called out, making sure the last part wasn't nearly as audible.

Mingyu rushed out from wherever he was, and pushed Minghao out of the door.

"It'll be really fun, Hao! Trust me!" Mingyu gleamed.

As they walked down the hallway, Minghao returned a fake smile, but he hoped that it was enough to convince Mingyu.

-

Minghao had no clue who this Soonyoung dude was but made assumptions just from the people who were there. The house wasn't fancy by any means, but it was nicely furnished throughout. Fraternity vibes were radiating from the building despite the home just being some off-campus living option for upperclassmen. All of the lights were dimmed, except for stringed lights that were hanging off of the walls.

Minghao searched through the crowd trying to find Chan, Hansol, or Seungkwan. It really didn't matter to him who he found first. Mingyu disappeared shortly after they arrived, so Minghao had to find him somehow too.

The music was playing so loud, he thought that he would burst an eardrum, or maybe just go deaf. Couples—some of them probably unfaithful to their partners—were grinding on each other. The sour scent of alcohol burned Minghao's nostrils, but he continued to search for his friends, bumping into the dancing crowd all the way.

Eventually though, the laughter and dancing had died down. It would have been completely silent if it wasn't for the western song being blasted through house. Minghao turned around to see why everyone had practically stopped what they were doing.

Then he saw it. The boy who had a major falling out with his girlfriend earlier that morning had walked into the house with some other boys behind him.

Somebody had walked up to welcome him inside, and Minghao presumed that it was Soonyoung. Everyone whispered a little something to the people around them. Minghao watched as Soonyoung shook hands with Junhui. They shared a few words and flashed each other a smile as Junhui's gaze moved towards the crowd of people.

Minghao wasn't sure, but it almost felt like they had made eye contact the same way they did that morning. He quickly broke it, and returned to his search.

-

Minghao eventually reconnected with his friends. Hansol and Seungkwan had something to drink that made them a little tipsy, and Minghao insisted that they go home because he didn't want them to get any more wasted. He wasn't sure if they followed his instructions or not, but he never saw them for the rest of the night.

Minghao stayed around Mingyu and Chan for a while, but they both eventually wandered off. Shortly after, he saw Chan talking to Soonyoung near the stairway and Mingyu with a boy who was with Junhui earlier that evening.

Alone, Minghao made his way to the kitchen to get away from all of the noise. He picked up a red solo cup, but unlike most of the attendees, he filled it with water. He leaned against the kitchen counter and sipped the refreshing drink. He watched all of the action from afar. He knew that this wasn't his scene and regretted coming to the party.

His friends had entirely abandoned him, and now he looked like a complete loser standing alone in the kitchen in the house of a boy he didn't know. He took another drink of his water. He thought about drinking some of the alcohol, but he knew he would regret it.

"I'm just gonna go home," Minghao muttered.

He walked over to the trash can to dispose of the plastic cup. As he looked back up, a boy was walking right towards him. The boy was no other than Junhui. Minghao had no intent to talk to this guy tonight, and tried to dart out of the house.

The boy followed him as he tried to escape, and after Minghao ran down the stairs at the front of the house, the boy grabbed his wrist. Minghao brushed his hand off and turned around to face him.

Minghao couldn't see his face very well since it was dark outside and he was backlit from the party inside.

"What do you want?" Minghao sighed.

"You were there this morning. When she broke things off with me," Junhui said.

"Yeah, sounded like you're a total jerk to me."

"You have it all wrong. She doesn't know what she'll be missing," Junhui defended, while motioning to his body.

Minghao rolled his eyes. A girl Minghao did not recognize came running out from the house and clung to Junhui's side.

"What're you doing out here? All the fun is inside," she mused.

"Might want to get back to partying with your new lady, dude. I'll be going now," Minghao announced.

Minghao, finally free, started to walk off. _That girl somehow ended up being my savior_.

"Hey, wait!" Junhui spluttered.

Minghao spun on his heels, expressing nothing but displeasure.

"What?" Minghao said, irritated.

Junhui turned to the girl and told her to go back inside, that he would go up to meet her again soon.

"Fine," she spat, looking Minghao up and down with what he registered as disgust.

Once the young woman had left, Junhui began to speak to Minghao again.

"Why are you so obsessed with me?" Junhui accused.

"What the hell, man? What makes you think that?" 

"Not only were you staring at me this morning, but also when I first arrived. Seems like you can't keep your eyes off of me," he nagged. "I know I'm handsome, but damn."

Minghao was speechless. How arrogant was this guy?

"I've certainly never seen you at a party like this," he continued.

"Yeah, well my friends dragged me along. But they all ditched me, so I'm going home. I never wanted to come in the first place," Minghao huffed.

"Ah," Junhui laughed, "I'm pretty sure I saw two of your friends making out not very long ago. Also, that dude Mingyu? Yeah, I saw him talking to my friend Wonwoo. Hopefully they don't leave you behind."

Minghao balled his hand up into a fist. He looked away from Junhui. He could feel his teasing expression turn into one of pity. Junhui took something out of his pocket and handed it to Minghao.

It was formatted as a business card, but the only things on it were a picture of him and his phone number. Minghao scoffed. _This guy must be insane_.

"If you're ever feeling lonely, just call that number," Junhui said almost flirtatiously. "I'm sure you know my name after that outburst this morning. Just call me Jun, though."

"Yeah, whatever, _Jun_ ," Minghao mocked. "I'm Minghao, but it's not like you need to know."

"Well, it was sure nice meeting you, Minghao. Maybe we can meet on different circumstances next time."

Minghao could have sworn that he had winked at him.

"Sure, whatever. Goodnight," Minghao finally said and turned to go on his way.

"One more thing."

Minghao halted on a step below Jun. _How much does this guy have to say?_

"Your Korean," Jun began, "it's not very good. You're not from here, are you?"

Minghao shook his head. "I'm not. I moved here from China not very long ago."

Jun smirked at him. " _Your Korean is cute, but a lot of people will think you sound dumb. Study harder. Maybe you'll learn to be as good as me_."

He left Minghao standing there on the step as he returned to Soonyoung's party. Minghao was in shock. He hadn't yet met somebody from China, and here he finally had. He was disappointed that it was a guy he never wanted to see again.

At last, he was able to go back to the dorm. As he walked through campus, he realized he still had that stupid card Jun had given him. He thought about tossing it into a puddle left by the rainstorm that morning. He looked at the card and the picture on it once more, and decided to put it into his pocket instead.

-

That night, the city lights seemed to be shining brighter than ever, so he blamed his inability to fall asleep on them.


	3. expected

Minghao woke up significantly later that morning. He watched Mingyu at his desk before he realized that he'd been awake.

"Hey, Hao. Sorry for leaving you alone like that last night," Mingyu apologized.

"I told you parties aren't my thing. Don't expect me to go to another, especially after you all ditched me like that," Minghao replied. "I accept the apology, though."

An awkward silence fills the room.

"So, Hansol and Seungkwan were pretty wasted last night," Mingyu eventually said. "I don't think they remember any of it."

"It's better if they don't. Almost everyone knows that they have feelings for each other, but they're both too shy to say anything to each other about it. If they find out what they did, they'll probably panic and not talk to each other for weeks."

"Ah, you're probably right," Mingyu laughed.

"Did you and Chan meet anyone new last night?" Minghao inquired. He already knew the answer to his question, but decided to ask to make conversation.

Mingyu flipped a page of the book he was reading as he answered. "Yeah, Chan talked to the host of the party, Soonyoung. He seems pretty fascinated by the guy. I think eventually Chan wants to rise to a social status equal to him."

Minghao thought about that. Chan was a super funny dude who always made people smile. He cheered Minghao up all of the time, especially when he missed home. Minghao hoped that his classmates recognized this and that more people befriended him.

"'Me, well I met a pretty cool guy named Wonwoo. He's really into literature and stuff, and he's kinda shy. I'm still surprised he would be at a party like that. He said he got dragged along by his friends," Mingyu told him.

"Sounds like somebody else we know," Minghao muttered.

Another brief silence.

"I saw you talking to somebody before you left," Mingyu remarked while taking a drink of water. Who was it?"

Minghao didn't know how to answer the question. He could lie to Mingyu, or just be honest. Maybe he didn't know the guy.

"Wen Junhui," he said, finally.

Mingyu nearly spat out his water. Minghao looked over at him. He was clearly shocked.

"Wen Junhui? That guy who's had like, what, 5 girlfriends just this month?"

So Mingyu _did_ know the guy.

"Yeah, him. I didn't think you knew him. I asked you if there were any students from China at our school, and you said no," Minghao countered.

"Well, yeah, I know him. Everyone knows him," Mingyu maintained.

"Then why did you lie to me?"

"Because I don't want you getting involved with a guy like that. He's a total player, Minghao. I've never heard of him dating a guy or anything, but just being associated with him is bad news."

Minghao almost laughed at the sorry excuse.

"That guy Wonwoo, he's Jun's friend. I bet you didn't know that, Gyu," Minghao sneered. "You probably still think he's a good guy though."

Mingyu glared at Minghao, but Minghao didn't look up at him that time. Nobody said anything else for the rest of the morning, but Minghao wondered why he had gotten so upset with Mingyu. 

-

Jun woke up to his phone ringing. Aggravated, he picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jun. Are you hungover or something?"

"No, Soonyoung, I'm not. Didn't even drink last night," Jun said, rubbing his eyes. "Just tired."

"Ah, man. I kinda hoped you were hungover. You're funny when you are. That girl from last night, did you two, you know..." Soonyoung trailed off.

"No, we didn't."

"Bummer. I heard she's pretty good, if you know what I mean," Soonyoung teased.

"You're disgusting, you know that?" Jun gagged.

"I'm not the one who's always trying to take somebody new home every single night."

Jun flipped like a switch.

"Soonyoung, you know that's an exaggeration. I really haven't slept with as many people everyone says I have," he scolded.

"Yeah, sure Jun. Whatever you say," Soonyoung laughed. "Hey, who was that guy you were talking to last night?"

"His name's Minghao. Some guy I've seen in the hallways at school."

Soonyoung thinks his words over before saying "never heard of him".

Their conversation drifted away from the topic of the party. Jun didn't remember the rest of conversation, and when Soonyoung hung up, he checked his messages.

_No new messages_.

Jun sighed. Both disappointed and relieved, he opened his blinds and went about the rest of his day.

-  
A few weeks ago, Minghao bought himself and Seokmin tickets for a dance performance and he'd forgotten it entirely up until a few hours before the show started. He didn't really feel like going out again, but he hadn't seen Seokmin in a long time and didn't want to disappoint him.

When the two arrived, the performing arts center was relatively empty, but it continued to grow in size. The building was relatively well-maintained despite it being a few decades old. Remodels occurred every few years to keep in line with the times, but it still had an authentic feel.

Watching the performance sparked emotion in Minghao's heart, as it was both moving and elegant. He stopped dancing shortly after moving to Korea to focus on his studies, but there was never a day that passed by without him wanting to dance again. He hoped he would find some time for it. The opportunity to just hadn't been present.

The show ended later that evening and the two decided to walk into town and have dinner at a restaurant, an uncommon occurrence for overworked students.

"Is there anything you'd like to eat?" Seokmin inquired.

"I don't know, Chinese food doesn't sound bad. I haven't had any in a long time," Minghao replied.

"Then we might as well have that. You bought the tickets, so I'll pay for the meal. My treat," Seokmin beamed, nudging Minghao.

Minghao said a quick thank you, as he had nearly no money on him.  
-

The restaurant was crowded, as expected on a Saturday night. Minghao and Seokmin had to practically yell at each other to hear what was being said.

"So, you liked the performance?"

"Yeah, everyone was really talented. It made me miss dancing," Minghao said, taking a bite of his dinner.

"You know you can probably take a dance class at the university. I'm pretty sure they're free, and you might be able to skip introductory classes by auditioning. I took one last year and I enjoyed it," Seokmin suggested.

Minghao nodded. As busy as he was, he really wanted to start dancing again.

"I think I—."

"Excuse me," the waiter interrupted, "is everything tasting alright?" The voice sounded vaguely familiar.

"It's delicious, thank you," Seokmin answered.

"And you?" The waiter asked Minghao.

"It's very good. I really—."

Minghao looked up at him, and they both froze. The waiter still had a smile somewhat plastered on his face, but he looked more shocked than anything. Minghao shook his head and coughed.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is," he continued, "I really enjoyed my meal."

The waiter, still looking at Minghao, nodded and said two words: "I'm glad."

Seokmin looked at his watch. "Sir, could we please have our check?"

"Separate or altogether?"

"Altogether, please."

The waiter said something about being right back with the check, but Minghao had fallen into a daze. _I should've known he worked at a place like this_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise things happen eventually


	4. it's better this way

On Monday morning, Minghao made an attempt to contact one of the dance teachers at the university. It was 5:00 PM now, and there was still no response. He checked his inbox every few minutes, hoping for a notification. Had they changed the policy? Would he not be able to audition into the dance class?

His phone began to overheat from the constant refreshing. Worried that his phone was going to break, he stopped checking his inbox and worked on class assignments.

Minghao, still somewhat undecided, didn't know what he was going to do when he left university. His parents wanted him to be a lawyer or a doctor, but Minghao didn't want to be involved in either of those career paths. Before he moved to Korea, he dreamed of becoming a famous dancer. His parents were supportive of his dancing, but still didn't want it to be his future career.

When he moved to Korea, he started paying lots of attention as to how he looked. He pierced his ears only a few weeks after moving, and gradually became one of the most fashionable students on campus. He experimented with different hair colors, but preferred natural colors over unnatural. As a result of everything, some of his friends had suggested that he major in fashion design, but he had no interest in being a designer.

And so Minghao had been taking all different kinds of classes to figure out what he wanted to do. No matter what he was taking, he couldn't find something he enjoyed. He loved dancing, and if he wasn't able to get into a dance class this year, he was sure that he would have to major in a subject he had no interest in.

Minghao shuffled over to his desk and opened the psychology book hidden under a pile of papers. The desk was pushed against a wall with a window right in front of it. When Minghao and Mingyu first started rooming together, Minghao wanted the desk where he could look out of the window. But with beauty came distraction.

While paying little attention to the reading he was assigned, his phone buzzed. Minghao reached for his phone, still sitting on his pillow.

 _I suppose I'll consider you if your audition is good enough. You can audition tomorrow at 4:30 in the performing arts center_.

Suddenly Minghao felt like getting his work done.

-  
Minghao couldn't sit still in any of his classes due to his nervousness. He was up late practicing a dance he performed at a competition in China a few years back. It was rusty, but he still thought he might be able to make it regardless.

The performing arts center doors were locked when he got there, meaning that he arrived a lot sooner than the instructor. He looked at some of the ads on the bulletin boards outside. Most everything seemed old, but there were some things that seemed more recent. He saw ads for lessons with little tear-offs of the time and address for the lesson ripped off of the paper.

There was one instrument that had all of the tear-offs still on it. There was no name on the paper at all, which might've been why people were anxious to go. Minghao felt bad for whoever was holding the lessons, and decided that he would go. It would be fun to learn how to play an instrument, and he had a gut feeling whoever was holding the sessions needed money. He tore the small address clip off of the paper and put it in his pocket.

"Are you Minghao?" A voice asked.

Minghao spun on his heels and breathed a shaky yes. The dance instructor seemed to be in his early thirty's and had dark stubble beneath his nose and along his jaw and chin. To Minghao, he looked a bit threatening.

"Great. Go ahead and start dancing once you're ready."

Minghao's face went slack.

"Out here in the lobby?" He asked nervously.

"Yeah, I don't have the keys to unlock the doors in there. Sorry if I misled you, but I'm kinda in a rush so if you could get to it, that would be great."

 _This is so awkward_ , he thought to himself, _but what else am I going to do? It's only me and him that are here right now anyway_.

Minghao didn't forget any of the routine while he was performing in front of the dance teacher, but he wasn't sure if his movements were fluid enough.

When he was finished, he just stood in front of him awkwardly. No words were said, but the instructor nodded slightly.

"Not bad. Class is every other weekday at 5:00 in the practice rooms at the gym. Practice is cancelled today, so I'll see you on Thursday," the instructor said before turning around and walking away.

"That's it?" Minghao said to himself. The rush of relief started to overwhelm him.

-

"I'm proud of you, dude! I knew you could do it," Mingyu gleamed after hearing the news.

"We should celebrate!" Minghao joked.

Mingyu falls silent for a minute before continuing. "I won't be able to tonight, I'm meeting someone in a little bit. I'll treat you sometime, though."

"I was just kidding around. You don't have to treat me to anything either," Minghao said while scrolling through his social media feed on his phone. "Who are you meeting up with?"

At first, Minghao didn't notice that Mingyu didn't respond to him. Some time passed before he looked across the room at him. Mingyu was looking down nervously. Minghao smirked.

" _Oh_ , I see. You're not just meeting up with someone, you're going on a _date_."

Mingyu looked up immediately and started blushing. "It's not a date," Mingyu huffed.

Minghao couldn't control his laughter. "You're awfully nervous for something that's not a date."

"Well, I don't think they're considering it a 'date'."

"You must like them though. Who gets to be so blessed with your presence this evening?"

"Jeon Wonwoo," Mingyu mumbled. There was a brief second where the two's eyes met.

"He's a nice guy. I'm sure you'll have fun," Minghao smiled.

"Y-yeah, he is." Mingyu stood up. "I'm going to go now. It'd be bad if I was late."

"That it would be. Good luck tonight," Minghao replied as Mingyu walked out of their dorm.

Minghao continued scrolling through his phone. A large number of people he followed were childhood friends from China who didn't bother to keep in touch with him once he moved. He followed his friends and a few other people from the university, but since he never posted he had a small following back rate.

As he was passing posts by, he came across a "people you might know" section. He looked through it and a single name stood out to him.

"Wen Junhui," he said to himself.

As he opened up his profile, he was immediately shocked. Junhui had several thousand followers. Minghao didn't really know why he had so many, but he made his own assumptions. He had lots of pictures of himself, and he was pretty good at taking them. There seemed to be hundreds of comments saying how handsome he was. Of course there were other types on posts on his page, but it was either with only him in it or nobody in the picture at all. It looked like he had dyed his hair several times, but it didn't look like he had posted since the last time he dyed his hair. The last time Minghao had an encounter with him, his hair was a chestnut color.

Eventually, Minghao tired of stalking this guy and stopped at the top of his page for a minute. His finger hovered over the 'follow' button as he considered following him.

He shook his head and locked his phone. "Intriguing as hell, but probably equally as bad," he laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this was short and boring (again)...gotta get basic plot out of the way!


	5. what happiness was

When Minghao was little, there was a boy he was really good friends with. They never hung out after school or anything like that; he just enjoyed his company at school. Minghao couldn't remember what he looked like, let alone his name. Truly, he remembered very little about him. He did remember swinging on a swing set next to him and the happiness he felt. The boy was his first close friend ever, and it pained him slightly to realize he remembered nothing about him except swinging on a swing set. And feeling happy. He felt happy.

A few days after that, something happened, and he wasn't happy anymore. Of course, Minghao didn't remember why. He'd been told things about it, like how the other boy had hurt him. Some kids said he punched Minghao and gave him a black eye. Other versions weren't as violent, but he knew something had happened. Other kids—kids he wasn't even friends with—felt the need to avenge Minghao. They verbally harassed the boy who had supposedly beaten him up. He didn't remember any of the words. Just that he felt sad.

Minghao transferred to a different school only a few months after they incident. At the time, he didn't miss him. Not then and definitely not now.

He made more friends at his new school. He remembered their names, but he wished that he didn't.

Minghao had good friends now. _Real_ friends. He couldn't care less about the friends he had when he was younger. They weren't like his old friends. But at that moment, Minghao really thought he was about to kill Mingyu.

"I thought you said you were going to do the laundry this time," Minghao hissed.

"I did, and I did do the laundry! I always stay true to my word."

"Then where is it?"

Minghao needed clothes to wear at practice. The expression on Mingyu's face concerned him. "I might have left it in the building's laundromat."

Minghao didn't even give Mingyu time to apologize for his mistake; he had already dashed out of their dorm and down the halls. _I'm already going to be late for my first practice. That's not a good impression_.

He was so distracted with his thoughts that he nearly ran into a girl trying to do her laundry. Minghao muttered a sorry as he walked around, looking into the dryers for his clothes. It was just his luck that he found the laundry in the very last dryer he checked.

He quickly gathered everything into a laundry hamper, but before he was able to make his way out of the laundromat he ran into the same girl that he ran into as he came running in. Apologizing for a second time, Minghao caught a better glimpse of her face. There was no doubt about it—she was the girl he caught screaming at Junhui only days before. Her cheeks were dusted pink, a softerlook compared to when she was enraged.

Minghao saw her lips move to say something but had no time to talk. He bolted out of the laundromat and down the hall. When he got back to the dorm, Mingyu was gone. _He's lucky he doesn't have to face me right now_ , Minghao thought to himself.

He peeled all of the tight clothing off of his body and exchanged them for a t-shirt and sweatpants. He didn't bother to fold his old clothes—he was in a rush and decided on wearing them for the music lesson he had that night.

Minghao unlocked his phone to check the time. He only had five minutes to make it all the way to the other side of campus. Nothing was going as planned, and Minghao feared that maybe it was a sign that he shouldn't start dancing again. Even it was a sign, he didn't care. He grabbed his key off of his desk and ran the fastest he had in a long time.

-

"Nice for you to finally join us, Minghao," the instructor said with contempt as Minghao pushed the door to the practice room open.

Minghao bowed his head. "I'm sorry," he apologized, out of breath from his sprint.

Luckily, everyone was only stretching when he arrived and the class hadn't started yet. While Minghao did join the class late, he wasn't too far behind from what he could tell. Some of the other dancers said that a large majority of the classes so far that year had been cancelled or postponed because of personal problems the instructor had been having.

There were mirrors plastered on every single wall in the room. They provided for the illusion of there being more people in the room than there actually were. Minghao didn't see any familiar faces in the immediate area surrounding him, so he looked to the opposite side of the room.

That's when he saw him. At first he almost didn't recognize him; his previously chestnut colored hair had been dyed blonde since he saw him last. As he came back up from his stretch, Junhui's glance drifted over to Minghao's side of the room.

"You've got to be kidding me," Minghao groaned.

Junhui smirked at him, or at least that's what Minghao thought he saw. He moved his head back so fast everything was a blur. Suddenly the lights felt too bright and the room too hot. Sure, not all things come easy, but that didn't mean that he had to spend another part of his life with Wen Junhui.

Minghao never talked to him, and he never talked to Minghao. They stayed on opposite sides of the room the whole evening which was exactly what Minghao wanted. By the time it was all over though, Minghao felt incredibly drained. His muscles were weak and his skin was moist with sweat. Regardless of how exhausted he felt, he had to go to piano lesson he considered the day prior. He didn't have any obligation to go, but he would feel bad if nobody showed up.

Minghao didn't have time to shower at the dorm and decided to dry his skin with a towel and throw on the clothes he didn't bother to clean up earlier. He quickly touched up his hair and settled on wearing glasses as an accessory. Minghao was only there for 10 minutes at most, yet he looked like he'd spent over an hour getting ready.

As he opened the entry door, Minghao noticed a sticky note plastered to the interior side of the door. Written very clearly was "not home until late - date night ;)". "Again?" Minghao muttered.

Walking across campus was a pain. The air had a slight chill to it, and the high winds only amplified the feeling. It messed up Minghao's hair, causing him to let out a deep sigh. Some of the lights needed to be replaced, too; most of them were flickering or not displaying any light at all.

His steps grew more and more hesitant. Minghao began to wonder if this was a bad omen, that something about this whole situation was dangerous. Going to someone's place without even knowing who they are sounds like a death wish. Then again, how many axe murderers play piano?

Even at the door of the person's place Minghao found himself checking his phone for a text from Mingyu or anyone really for that matter. He put his phone in his back pocket and shifted nervously. He held his fist in the air near the door and subconsciously held his breath. Minghao closed his eyes as he made three quick knocks on the door.

Seconds later, a voice called out "the door's open". Minghao grimaced. _What kind of weirdo leaves his door unlocked?_ he thought as he reached for the door knob. As he pushed the door inward, a figure stood in the thin hallway directly across from the apartment door. It took only one more step inside for Minghao to realize who exactly that figure was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and the plot thickens!


	6. downpour

It was obvious that Junhui had just gotten out of the shower. The white t-shirt he was wearing was nearly soaked all the way through, proof that the towel draped around his neck was not put to much use. Water droplets from the strands of his dark blonde hair ran down the sides of his face. Minghao wasn't sure if his face was red from the heat of the shower water or from embarrassment.

"I-I'm here for a piano lesson," Minghao coughed up. He wasn't sure who this was more awkward for, him or Junhui.

"Uh, yeah, of course," Junhui replied, "Just...have a seat over there. I'll be right back."

In the blink of an eye, Junhui had disappeared from Minghao's view. Left alone, he sat down on the couch as he was told to do and waited. He made up excuses for leaving in order to pass the time.

The simplicity of the apartment comforted Minghao in spite of the strange circumstances. Time was passing slowly, and for whatever reason, Junhui still hadn't reappeared. Minghao sunk into the plush couch as he grasped for more ways to distract himself.

His encounters with Junhui were the kinds of coincidences that he'd wish to never experience. Only days ago, Minghao had no clue who Wen Junhui was. If he hadn't set his alarm so early, hadn't gone out of his dorm so early, hadn't gotten to school so early he still wouldn't have known him. A simple mistake, sure, but for Minghao, it was somehow turning disastrous.

What Minghao knew about him was very little. He knew that he danced and, now, played piano. Oh, and that we was a little bit of a player. Just a little bit.

At last, he heard footsteps.

"You didn't strike me as the type who wanted to learn how to play piano," Junhui said behind him. Whatever feelings of embarrassment Junhui may have previously had now clearly dissipated.

Minghao scoffed. "Yeah, and _you_ never struck me as the type to know how to play piano."

"All my life, actually," Junhui replied. Minghao was slightly shocked to hear a response that wasn't exactly snarky.

Junhui hovered at the end of the couch, staring at the floor before him. Silence ensued.

"Well, actually, I should probably be going. Mingyu and I we-," Minghao began only moments later.

" _Look, we both know that's not the case_ ," Junhui interrupted. " _You wanted to learn how to play, but now that you know I'm the one who's teaching, you want to scram_."

Minghao's face began to sting. Junhui looked over at him.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Junhui said while Minghao looked away, almost shamefully. Junhui sighed. "If no one shows up within the next half-hour and it's only us, then you can leave."

Minghao didn't dare look back at Junhui. He felt like a jerk. He _did_ want to learn how to play piano, and now his opinions of Junhui had been thrown to light. How it happened, he wasn't quite sure. Panicking, Minghao spat out a question to prohibit the silence from infiltrating any further.

"Why do you like playing piano?"

It came out rushed, monotone. When Junhui didn't answer immediately, another round of panic ran its course. Eventually, Junhui shrugged.

"It's nice."

Minghao stifled a laugh. _That's it?_ he thought.

"So...there's no deep, sentimental reason?"

"Not really. I just like it. Did you expect something more?" Junhui asked in return.

"I mean, no. You don't seem like a very, how should I say it, passionate person. I suppose it was poor judgment on my part."

Junhui started to lean on the edge of the couch as a smirk began to take form.

"Ah, you don't think I'm passionate. Is that it?"

Minghao hesitated. "Well, that's not—."

"I can be passionate. Is that what you want?" Junhui prodded.

Without allowing Minghao any time to respond, Junhui cornered him on the couch.

"Those glasses you're wearing," he began, guiding his hands towards the dark frames, "do you need them to see?"

Minghao leaned back, almost instinctively, and shook his head to say no.

"It's such a shame that you're wearing them. How am I supposed to see your beautiful eyes?"

Junhui moved closer to Minghao, hovering. Minghao grew feverish, but the glint in Junhui's eye was alluring. It wasn't in a good way. Junhui snapped out of it and left Minghao resting on the couch as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Would you like something to drink?" he called out.

"Water. Please."

Minghao was in a daze. Everything was going awry. All he wanted to do was learn how to play piano, plainly and simply.

While Junhui walked back to the couch to hand Minghao a glass of water, there were several knocks on the door. Junhui quickly handed Minghao the cup before answering.

The person on the other side of the door was unfamiliar to Minghao. He seemed fairly buff and had thick, dark hair. Minghao couldn't hear what the two were talking about, but was able to deduce the topic of the conversation by picking out phrases like 'power outage' and 'storm'. The dark haired man walked down the corridor, but Junhui kept the door open. He looked back at Minghao.

"Must be your lucky day," he told him. "There's a storm about to come through—a bad one I guess—so you should probably hike back to wherever you came from."

-

On the way to Junhui's place, Minghao did feel a slight chill in the air. Now, the temperature had dropped significantly. He walked quicker on his returning route, not wanting to get caught in a storm. Every now and then he would see a flash of lightning illuminating the night sky. The clouds were eerie and made Minghao feel unsettled.

Minghao buzzed into his dorm. When he did, several things signaled that Mingyu hadn't yet returned from his date. There was a lamp on, but it was only the one. The curtains and blinds hadn't been drawn like they would've been once the sun went down. Peeking through the window as he closed the blinds and curtains only a couple hours late, Minghao saw the first specks of rain hit the concrete a few floors below.

Right as he was about to open the door to his room, Minghao heard a strange clattering sound coming from inside.

Minghao knocked lightly on the door. "Gyu, you in there?"

Since there was no response, he pushed the door inward, but immediately shut it a second later. Mingyu was there. 

So was someone else.

-

Junhui couldn't help but wonder if Minghao had made it back before the storm while picking up the untouched glass of water he'd offered him earlier. He was sure he had, but he didn't know.

He wasn't very hungry, and opted not to eat dinner for the night. It wasn't that late in the evening, but the dark clouds painting the sky allowed for the illusion of deep night. Junhui found himself getting rather fatigued as a result of Mother Nature's game. He crawled into bed in the clothes he'd been wearing, turned on the television, and began to scroll through his phone.

The power flickered once, then twice, but it never went completely out. The thunder at points was deafening, especially with the rain pounding against the side of the building. The pounding continued and continued. Junhui admired the pattern, how unusual the perfect rhythm was. At least that was before he realized that the pounding was coming from his door. The idea that someone had come to his door in the middle of a storm made his heart race. Junhui's building was far away from even the closest building. 

Junhui walked down the hallway at a slow pace. He flicked the light switch on as he passed by. Once he reached the main door, he stopped. Something about this wasn't right, his gut told him so. As he waited to reach a decision about opening the door, the knocking came to a halt. All that filled Junhui's ears was the unending grumbling of the thunder outside. This continued for another minute, maybe two. Junhui wasn't sure how long the knocking had stopped before he stepped away to return to his room. A new sound came, the creaking of the wood beneath Junhui's feet. Then another sound. A voice.

" _Junhui, if you're there... _" the voice croaked.__


	7. you’ll only embarrass yourself

The words sent chills running up Junhui's spine. They felt so cold that he almost stood there frozen but came to the quick realization that he couldn't do that. He turned his head to look back at the door. The warm light was seeping in from the corridor through the gaps. The knocking proceeded once more, however it lacked much effort. There were three soft knocks, nothing near the force Junhui heard in his room. This time though, he leaped towards the door and undid the chain lock. The door creaked open, and a flood of light came rushing into the apartment. 

In the moment, Minghao didn't seem vulnerable. He was uncomfortable. Junhui could tell. His hair, his clothes, his skin—all drenched. He was out of breath. Junhui wondered if he ran all the way back to the apartment after he got home or if he'd gotten caught in the storm in the process of returning home. 

"So," Minghao said while giving a sheepish smile, "can I come in?"

-

Junhui didn't bother asking Minghao what had happened that made him turn around. He did offer him a hot shower, food if he wanted some. Junhui found himself sifting through his closest and drawers to find dry clothes for Minghao to wear. The two of them were about the same size, but Minghao was thinner than he was. He did his best to find items that were suitable for him.

Junhui leaned against the bathroom door and told Minghao that he was setting the clothes right outside. He then moved on to the kitchen to fix something that Minghao could eat. As he scoured for ingredients Junhui grasped his present reality.

The truth was Junhui didn't know Minghao all that well, and Minghao didn't really know Junhui either. Perhaps he should've pried for an explanation before he let Minghao inside his apartment. Minghao could've committed some sort of crime and decided to take refuge in his apartment. Who was he kidding? Junhui was sure that wasn't the case. 

He still was uncomfortable with the idea that he would have someone staying the night as his place. Junhui hadn't had anyone over at his place in what was probably months. He didn't know where he'd let Minghao sleep, where _he'd_ sleep, or how'd he plan for any strange preferences Minghao may have. 

Junhui didn't really have too much time to think about any of it. Minghao was about to come out of the bathroom any minute, and Junhui was completely clueless. His whole evening was flipped upside down because of him. Junhui turned around to dump vegetables into a pot but was startled when he saw Minghao standing right in front of him.

Minghao didn't say anything, much to Junhui's surprise. The clothes fit him decently well. The top was a little too large on him, but Junhui was sure Minghao would settle for it just this once.

"Sorry, they're not the most fashionable things I have," Junhui said as he let the vegetables and noodles boil.

Minghao stayed quiet still. It looked to Junhui that Minghao was just now coming to his senses, unaware that he made the trek all the way to his apartment.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened that made you come all the way back here?" Junhui said finally. 

"Mingyu and I, we're roommates. He had a date tonight. When I got home, things started getting steamy." 

"By steamy, do you mean...?" Junhui asked as he gathered a bowl and eating utensils. 

"If what you mean is sex, then yeah, that's what I intended when I said 'steamy.'" Minghao answered bluntly.

"And why did you come here of all places?" 

Minghao thought the question over for a moment. "I wasn't sure if Mingyu was okay with me telling people he's essentially dating someone. If I went somewhere else, to a friend's or something, they wouldn't let it go. I'd be forced into telling them. You don't really know him, so I don't expect you to go around talking about it."

Junhui nodded. "Makes sense," he mumbled. He hesitated. "You're not into him, right? Mingyu, I mean."

"No. He's my best friend though. It was very weird to see that."

By the way Minghao was talking, Junhui could tell just how drained he was. He wasn't sure how he should comfort him either. He didn't really have experience walking in on his best friend. 

"That sucks." He set the bowl in front of him.

For some reason that elicited a giggle from Minghao. One that didn't stop. Junhui looked down at him in the chair timidly.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's just..." Minghao paused to laugh a little more. "The other guy?" Minghao leaned forward in his chair towards Junhui and made a hand gesture. "Jeon Wonwoo."

Junhui's jaw dropped to the floor. "I don't know if I can believe that," he said.

"It's the truth," Minghao replied before putting some noodles into his mouth. "I saw it with my own two eyes."

"Minghao, don't talk with you mouth full," Junhui scolded jokingly.

Minghao rolled his eyes while Junhui took a seat on the sofa. He leaned back and bounced his foot around as Minghao ate his meal. Their conversation had been taken over by the raging storm outside. Junhui pulled his phone out to pass the time as Minghao continued to eat. Right as he took the phone out, the mood of the room flipped. Junhui's face was stuck on his home screen.

"What's up?" Minghao asked him.

Junhui shook his head. "It's nothing."

Minghao wasn't sure if he believed it. He kept his eyes on Junhui for another second to see if he could pick anything up from his demeanor, but nothing came from it. He took one last bite of his food before he got up to wash the dish and dining utensils. 

"What's the time?" He called over to Junhui. Minghao focused on Junhui at the sofa after he turned the water on at the sink. Junhui was typing away on his phone. Quickly. Before Minghao was about to ask again, Junhui exited the app he was on and checked the time.

"It's a quarter past eight," he said as he locked his phone and flipped it over on the coffee table. 

"Only?" Minghao answered as he scrubbed away at the bowl. 

"Yeah."

"Maybe we should do something," Minghao suggested. 

"Like what?" Junhui wondered.

"I don't know." Minghao turned off the sink and dried the bowl with a towel before using a different one for his own. "There's this really good film I've heard about."

"I guess we can watch that," Junhui responded. "I don't watch films that much, so it better be good if I'm spending my time on it."

Junhui got up from the couch and walked back to his room to grab his laptop. "You can turn the lights off so that there's a movie theater like feel," he called out. Minghao did so but only because the lights were starting to strain his eyes.

Once he returned, the two of them sat back down. Minghao helped Junhui find a reliable site they could watch it on, shooting down ones infamous for malware and other viruses.

After finding the right website, the two leaned against opposite armrests with their legs resting flat on the cushions. The two exchanged very few words while they enjoyed the film. Every once and a while, Minghao wouldn't completely understand something a character said, and he'd ask Junhui to translate it into Chinese or state it more simply in Korean. 

The plot followed a young woman who had previously lived in a big city and then moved to a rural town to live with and take of her grandmother. At the beginning she's unsatisfied with the way her life turned out but learns to love the desolate town, her cold grandmother, and a man she once knew as a child. The rumors surrounding the movie were true. It was funny—there were times the two of them doubled over laughing—and emotional. Minghao teared up on multiple occasions, and Junhui ended up breaking into a sob at the climax of the movie. 

Towards the end, Minghao's eyes landed on Junhui. He was still looking at the computer screen, paying close attention to every detail of the movie. His face was lit with its brightness. It was sweet how interested he was in the film. 

Minghao caught himself smiling at him. He hadn't been aware of it at first. He felt his cheeks turn rosy while he turned back to look at the screen. 

Before he knew it, the credits began rolling. Junhui stretched his arms and legs, accidentally bumping into Minghao's in the process. 

"That was really good," Junhui told him. "I really liked it."

Minghao nodded but didn't face Junhui. Junhui didn't notice that Minghao had nodded his head.

"Don't you think so?" He asked.

"Yeah," Minghao answered. _Tsk, that came out too short_ , he thought.

Junhui got up from the couch and walked behind it. He said something that Minghao didn't quite catch. Junhui poked Minghao in the back to get his attention. Minghao still didn't turn around.

"What?"

"I said, _why won't you just look at me_?" 

Minghao felt the air get knocked out of his chest. He couldn't figure out why, but he did turn around to face Junhui that time.

"Sorry. Still really in my feelings because of that movie," he lied.

Junhui leaned over the couch and tried to pick up the laptop on the table. Minghao could've told him beforehand that his arms weren't long enough to reach it. Instead of teasing him for it, Minghao grabbed it for him. Junhui mumbled a thank you as he walked down the hall.

"Minghao, could you go hit the light switch? I guess I didn't get it," Junhui requested.

Minghao stumbled over to the wall and tried flicking the switch upwards. It didn't work because it was already flicked upward. 

"Uh, it's already turned on," he answered back. Minghao then walked to the kitchen to try to turn on another light. It didn't work.

"Not to freak you out, but I think your power went out." It was quiet. "Shouldn't you be worried about that?" He continued while turning around. Of course, he hadn't been prepared for what was standing behind him.

"Oh, _fuck_ ," he screamed. 

Junhui had managed to sneak up behind him with a flashlight right beneath his face. Junhui couldn't stop laughing after he scared Minghao.

"Jun, that wasn't cool, really," Minghao fumed. 

Junhui stopped laughing. "Did you just hear yourself? You just called me Jun."

Minghao was getting irritated with him, and ignored his comment. 

"How'd you know the power went out?" He redirected. 

"During the movie, I heard a loud bang. I didn't hear the building's generator come on, so I knew then."

Minghao sighed. "Were you planning that the whole time?"

Junhui started laughing again. It was infectious. Minghao felt like he had no choice but to laugh too. Once they had both gotten over the mischief Junhui told Minghao that there was another flashlight in one of the kitchen drawers. 

Junhui continued to talk to him as Minghao fumbled around. "You can sleep in my room tonight. I'll sleep out here on the couch."

"You don't have to do that. I'm the guest; I can take the couch. I don't mind." Minghao stopped looking for the flashlight and closed a cabinet door. 

"My house, my rules," Junhui smiled. 

Minghao was too exhausted to debate it any further and accepted his fate for the night. 

-

Minghao was already lying down by the time Junhui had come into the room to grab a blanket and pillow. Minghao couldn't be sure, but he thought he heard Junhui trip over something on the ground.

"If you don't mind, I'm trying to sleep," Minghao joked.

"I can kick you out if you want," Junhui returned. 

Junhui was gone about as fast as he appeared. The storm outside had died down, but the rain could be heard regardless. Minghao thought about how crazy the past few hours had been, and more importantly, how relieved he was that it was almost over with. He would need to leave for class in the morning, and ultimately, go back home. 

Minghao's eyes stayed open for a while as he thought about everything. When it came to everything, however, there was only one thing that seemed to come to mind. 

" _Why won't you just look at me_?" he whispered to the darkness.

The darkness didn't reply.

-

By the morning, the sun defeated the storm at last. The power had also been restored. Minghao left before Junhui had woken up. The bed was made, and a thank you note was written messily on a piece of notebook paper. Junhui didn't know where Minghao had gotten that.

When Junhui went into the bathroom to brush his teeth after breakfast he found Minghao's clothes on the ground. They were still damp, and so Junhui could see why Minghao might have chosen to leave them. More likely was that he had forgotten them. 

Junhui had his own laundry to do, and so he went ahead and took the initiative to wash Minghao's as well. Junhui checked the pockets of the clothes to make sure nothing would be damaged or lost in the washer. When he got to Minghao's pants, he found something: the card he'd given him less than a week prior.


	8. baby it's cold outside

Minghao never spoke to Mingyu about the incident. He was sure Mingyu hadn't even noticed him walk in, and Minghao didn't want to bring it up himself. Mingyu did ask where Minghao was that night, though.

"A friend's," Minghao told him.

The answer seemed to satisfy Mingyu, and he didn't inquire any further.

The following days were consumed with assignments. Minghao remained locked up in his dorm, working late into the night every night. Typically, Minghao would be able to complete his assignments quickly. Minghao was distracted now. Not by any material things it seemed. Minghao always hid his phone in another part of the room when he had something he needed to get done. A basic distraction was eliminated that way.

Mingyu was also gone almost all weekend. His general whereabouts remained unknown to Minghao. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense: he was just worried about where Mingyu was.

Even though he was sure Mingyu was doing fine, Minghao couldn't shake his distraction. He reassured himself multiple times, yet there was no change in his condition. It took all of his willpower to finish his last assignment. It was already 1:20 in the morning, and he wanted nothing more than to just go to sleep and to get rid of the fuzzy feeling in his head at last.

This wasn't like him. _Is there something wrong with my brain?_ he thought. _Maybe I should see a doctor_.

Around 1:45, Minghao's phone started to ring. He picked it up.

"Oh, you're actually awake?" Mingyu said before Minghao had a chance to say hello.

"Yeah," Minghao answered. "I'm actually—."

"Hey, look, I'm sorry, but I need a favor." Mingyu really wasn't letting Minghao get even a few words in. "I accidentally left my wallet at the dorm, and well, I kinda need it."

"You want me to bring it to you?" Minghao sighed heavily and furrowed his brow.

"Please? I'm really sorry. I have to make a lot up to you, I know." Mingyu pleaded.

"Okay," Minghao caved.

Mingyu thanked him and gave him the address of where he was before he hung up. Minghao typed up his conclusion before racing out of the dorm.

Minghao couldn't even lie to himself and say that he wasn't irritated. The weather was bitterly cold or at least for autumn. Minghao wasn't dressed for the conditions. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, but the fabric was thin and was a weak barrier against the icy breeze. He walked fast, arms folded across his chest and shoulders hiked up near his ears.

The address Mingyu gave him was a residential one, suggesting that Mingyu was at a party. The street name wasn't familiar to Minghao, but as he started to approach the road itself, a sense of nostalgia flooded his veins. The house was clearly Soonyoung's. The interior was lit up identically to the way it was when Minghao was there last.

He climbed up the concrete steps. Once he reached the front door, he didn't bother knocking and invited himself in. He was only going to hand Mingyu his wallet and leave. Minghao did wonder why Mingyu needed his wallet at Soonyoung's house, though.

Minghao instantly knew that the party he assumed Mingyu was at was more like a gathering and a small one at that. Everyone was near a large tan couch. Some people were sitting on the couch, some sitting right in front near the other's feet.

He found Mingyu in the group relatively fast. As Mingyu got up to greet him, heads turned toward Minghao.

"Thank you so much," Mingyu said.

"It's no problem." Minghao nodded. He felt his teeth chatter a little.

"Are you cold? You can stay for a while if you need to warm up," Mingyu offered.

"No, really, that's okay. I need to get back to the dorm. I've been working nonstop, and I'm exhausted."

"At least let me find you a jacket or something."

Before Minghao said that wasn't necessary, Mingyu had already turned around to ask if anyone had a spare jacket.

"I do," someone said.

Minghao looked over. At that moment it became clear to Minghao who the people Mingyu were hanging out with were. Wonwoo was sitting on the couch, Soonyoung to his left. The space in between them had to have been Mingyu's. The people sitting on the floor in front of the couch were vaguely familiar to Minghao. The person who said they had a jacket was more familiar to Minghao.

Minghao wasn't surprised that Junhui was here. He was friends with Wonwoo and Soonyoung after all.

"Can Minghao use it?" Mingyu requested.

Junhui resounded with an "of course" and stood from his position on the floor, the jacket bundled in his hands.

"Stay warm," Junhui told Minghao as he placed the jacket in his arms. Minghao didn't have time to tell Junhui thanks. He walked away too soon.

Minghao turned to Mingyu as he put the jacket on. "Why did you need your wallet?"

"We've been betting on things all night, and I finally lost one. I owe one of these guys some money," Mingyu explained.

Minghao shook his head while he walked out of the door. " _You're crazy_."

-

When Junhui received the invitation to Soonyoung's place, he didn't expect there to be a lot of people joining in. He was right, but he also didn't expect Mingyu to be there. Wonwoo must've invited him over.

When everyone first arrived, no one said anything to each other. They were all just sitting in Soonyoung's living room as if they were waiting on something to happen.

"Are we actually going to do anything?" Jeonghan laughed.

"No. I just invited everyone to sit around and do nothing," Soonyoung said sarcastically.

Junhui found it awkward, especially at first. He knew something about the both of them he was sure no one else was aware of. He wasn't sure how to talk to Mingyu. Normally it would've been easy for Junhui to talk to Wonwoo, but Mingyu's presence seemed to cut off connection.

Eventually everyone seemed to lighten up. Soonyoung suggested playing games like Never Have I Ever and even the childish Truth or Dare. While it took time, Junhui did start to invest himself in the conversations and games.

One thing led to another, and everyone started placing bets. Junhui wasn't included in any of them and remained a bystander. He didn't have cash to throw around. The others took turns. The last bet was between Jeonghan and Mingyu. Junhui didn't know what the bet was. All he knew was that Mingyu lost.

Mingyu searched for his wallet for a long time.

"I think I might have left it at home," Mingyu admitted.

"Look, a guy needs his money," Jeonghan remarked.

"I can try calling Minghao to see if he can bring it," Mingyu said while pulling out his phone. "I bet he won't do it though."

"I bet he will," Junhui said, almost involuntarily.

Mingyu moved his phone up to his ear.

"It's a bet then."

Junhui didn't have an explanation as to why he suddenly made a bet with Mingyu. A stupid one at that. The conversation Mingyu was having with Minghao over the phone seemed to help Junhui's side more than Mingyu's. After he hung up, Mingyu looked over at Junhui and mouthed something at him. Junhui couldn't identify it. It looked like "I know".

Everyone sat and joked around while waiting for Minghao to show up. Junhui's stomach was in knots. Ever since Minghao stayed the night at his place, Junhui felt off. It was only after the fact that he realized how strange it was to let someone he didn't really know sleep in his apartment. He waited anxiously for the knocks on the door.

The knocks never came since Minghao had just come right in. His ears were red, and Junhui thought about how it had gotten cold in the past few days. He didn't seem to recognize Junhui, at least not at first. He was only there to give Mingyu his wallet, he knew that. But for some odd reason, Junhui expected him to stay.

Minghao and Mingyu spoke quietly. Whatever they were saying was inaudible to Junhui until Mingyu asked something of the group.

"I do."

Junhui knew that it would be for Minghao before Mingyu had even mentioned him. Junhui responded with a resounding "of course".

The words spilled out of his mouth. Junhui could tell that it was at that moment when Minghao realized who exactly Mingyu was hanging out with that evening. His eyes flickered around to where everyone else was sitting before returning to Junhui's face.

As he stood up, Junhui hoped that Minghao didn't think that he'd betrayed his trust and told Mingyu that he was at his place a few nights ago. Junhui felt himself panicking, and mumbled something he thought was incoherent to Minghao. He didn't stand there waiting for Minghao to strike up a conversation; he knew that Minghao just wanted to go home.

Junhui listened in on the roommates while he walked back to his seat on the floor. While he crouched back down, he heard Minghao say something that only Junhui would be able to understand. It was said in Mandarin.

" _You're crazy_."

Junhui stifled his laugh. Eyes turned to Junhui as Minghao walked out.

"What'd he say?" Mingyu asked.

"Don't worry about it," Junhui shook his head.

Everyone parted ways within the hour. Junhui's place wasn't far from Soonyoung's, but the chilly weather made the distance all the greater. He wished that he held onto his jacket for a brief moment.

He felt drained. Each step felt heavy. The shivering didn't result in any energy spikes. It wasn't a cloudy night, or at least that's what Junhui thought. Things started to get cloudy.

Then they got dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry this is so late! i've been incredibly busy recently with almost no time to myself. i rushed this chapter a little because i wanted to get something out, but i'll try to update more frequently from now on!


	9. what happens after midnight

Junhui's face was bloody and bruised. His nose was swollen and bright red. His cheeks were scratched up from the collision with the pavement. Minghao was sorry that he was the one who had to take care of it.

-

Minghao was in bed when he got the call from Mingyu. The first time it rang Minghao ignored it. But then the phone kept blaring on.

"I am _not_ leaving the dorm again," Minghao barked.

After that, Mingyu kept talking and talking. Something about Junhui—he's hurt, Mingyu said. He would've asked Wonwoo if he could fix him up, but apparently he had a class that morning and needed to go get some rest. He also said that he would've done it himself, but he didn't know anything about Junhui.

"And you're assuming I do?" Minghao interjected.

"Minghao, I know where you were the other night."

"Oh. _Oh_ ," Minghao stammered, "God, no, it wasn't like that."

"I don't care what it was. You don't have any classes tomorrow, and you're the only reasonable option right now," Mingyu reasoned.

-

In the end, Minghao gave in. Mingyu had brought Junhui back to his apartment, but left before Minghao made it there. Junhui was lying on the couch staring at the ceiling.

"What on Earth did you do to yourself?" Minghao gawked.

"I fainted."

"You did all of _that_ just from fainting?"

Junhui nodded. Minghao closed the door and walked closer to Junhui. There was only one deep wound on his left cheek. Minghao realized that it was the same cheek that his ex-girlfriend—or whatever she was to him—hit the morning Minghao first saw Junhui.

Minghao asked Junhui to sit up on the armrest while he assessed the remaining injuries. Junhui didn't look at Minghao. In fact, his eyes were landing everywhere except for on Minghao's face.

After about thirty seconds, Minghao walked over to Junhui's kitchen to open the freezer. He picked through the items in search for an ice pack. He wasn't surprised that he couldn't find one, and decided to make a makeshift one using ice cubes, a plastic bag, and a cloth.

"Use this for your nose," Minghao said, carefully handing Junhui the bag of ice.

Junhui directed Minghao down the hall and into the bathroom for the bandages. Minghao opened the vanity and collected items he would need for cleaning and bandaging Junhui's lacerations. He set everything down onto the coffee table before walking into the kitchen for a second time. He picked up a plastic blue bowl and filled it just below the rim with warm water.

He sat back down on the couch and took the cloth and ice pack away from Junhui. Minghao dipped the cloth into the bowl before moving closer to Junhui. He wasn't quite sure how to position himself to clean the cuts on his face. Minghao settled for sitting on his knees and using his left arm straightened out against Junhui's shoulder to keep his balance.

Minghao began by wiping smaller nicks. Junhui didn't flinch much at these. Minghao then motioned for him to move the ice pack off of his nose to see if there was anything he should clean. Unfortunately, it was still swollen, and Minghao had little idea how to make it any better. He asked Junhui to keep the ice off while he rinsed out the only injury left—the deep one on his cheek.

The only warning Minghao gave Junhui was "this might hurt". He gently pressed the cloth against it, but Junhui flinched and turned away. Minghao pulled his head back and tried again. Junhui's nails dug into Minghao's left forearm as he held the cloth up against his cheek.

"Done."

Minghao pulled the cloth away and threw it in the water bowl. Junhui's grip loosened instantaneously. Minghao didn't feel the need to bandage up the smaller cuts and only pulled out one square bandage for the deep wound. He peeled away the glossy paper and leaned back over to Junhui. The adhesive part of the bandage stuck to Minghao's fingers. He struggled to get it off without damaging it. Laughing a little, Junhui helped pulling the bandaid off of Minghao's fingers so he could put it on for him. Minghao thanked him and stuck the parallel sides of the bandage down before he used his thumb to flatten it out. Junhui winced when Minghao's finger grazed over it.

Minghao's eyes flashed over to Junhui.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Minghao didn't look away, and for some reason neither did Junhui. Junhui was looking directly at Minghao, but he couldn't figure out why. Minghao's gaze floated down Junhui's face. His heartbeat quickened in nervous anticipation. His eyes flickered upward to Junhui's, only to find that Junhui was looking at his lips, too. Minghao realized that his hand was still on Junhui's cheek.

"Minghao..."

Minghao pulled away.

"I'm going to go clean up," he blurted.

Minghao could've cleaned the bowl and cloth in the kitchen, but he opted for the bathroom because it wasn't right next to where Junhui was. The door creaked shut suddenly. Minghao feared that it was too obvious that he was avoiding Junhui. He splashed cold water in his face and rested his weight against the sink. As he looked in the mirror, he finally understood what was distracting him all that time.

-

Junhui was shocked. There was absolutely no denying it. Something had almost happened there, and the thought had made him all the lightheaded again. Junhui passed the time Minghao was gone by wrapping his head around his situation. It was a misunderstanding on his part. Minghao was simply applying a dressing, but when he didn't move his hand away fast enough, Junhui over-prepared for something that wasn't going to happen.

Junhui knew that he freaked Minghao out. He felt like an idiot, and now he was clueless as to how the rest of the night would end. Junhui still felt like he had the burden of asking Minghao if he wanted to stay over for the last few hours until the sun rose. That offer had unfortunate implications.

Junhui wished that it was someone else who had come to take care of him.

-

"You're really beaten up." Mingyu stated the obvious.

Junhui was sitting on a bench while Mingyu stood across from him. His entire head was throbbing. He brought his hand up to his face, accidentally smearing blood on his fingertips and cheek in the process. Mingyu kept asking Junhui if there was anyone he could call.

"It's so late," Junhui drawled. "No one's gonna come and help."

"What about Wonwoo?" Mingyu suggested.

"Of course you'd say him first." Junhui laughed. He regretted it immediately. Mingyu was sure to catch on now. "No, he has an early morning class."

Mingyu nodded and continued to list off other names to which Junhui responded with explanations as to why they wouldn't be available.

"What about Minghao?"

Junhui stayed quiet for a long time. He could feel Mingyu looking at him. _He knows_.

"I don't think he'd—."

"No, you wouldn't think so," Mingyu agreed, but he pulled out his phone and immediately dialed Minghao's number. His actions contradicted his statement.

The volume on Mingyu's phone was turned all the way up. The ringing was obnoxious. It only stopped when Minghao's voice apologized, saying that he would return the call as soon as he possibly could.

"I told you," Junhui defended.

Mingyu didn't answer him and tried calling Minghao for a second time. It only rang once that time.

Minghao sounded bitter when he answered, not even giving Mingyu the decency of a "hello". Mingyu blabbered on. The way he described Junhui's injuries suggested that he was in worse shape than he actually was. Junhui wished Mingyu would turn down his volume after that.

It didn't sound like Minghao wanted to help Junhui out at all, and Junhui was close to telling Mingyu to just hang up; he could take care of himself. It was then when Mingyu said something that made Junhui's heart sink.

"Minghao, I know where you were the other night."

There was a pause at the end of the line. Minghao grew defensive, defensive in a way that stung. _Is it really that bad if it_ was _like that?_

Mingyu hung up without Junhui hearing the rest of the conversation.

"So?" Junhui said meekly.

"He's coming," Mingyu answered while putting his phone back in his pocket.

Junhui was bouncing his foot up and down, head tilted down at the ground. Mingyu sighed. He walked over to the bench and sat next to Junhui.

"Wonwoo told me about you," Mingyu revealed.

Junhui didn't react, mostly because he wasn't quite sure what his reaction to this should be. He didn't know the context. Wonwoo could've sung his praises or talked him down. Junhui wasn't sure which was the case, but he hoped that it wasn't the latter.

Mingyu opened his mouth again like he was going to continue. Instead, he took the conversation in a completely unwarranted direction.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Junhui choked. "I'm sorry?"

"I think I said it pretty bluntly." Mingyu leaned back on the bench and turned to Junhui.

"Once, and even that's a maybe," Junhui wavered.

Mingyu looked away from Junhui.

"All of those girls and you're not sure if you've ever been in love," Mingyu scoffed.

"I don't think you'd understand," Junhui retorted.

"Try me."

"I don't want to get into that right now."

A hush fell over the two of them.

"Look, Junhui, I'm sure you're a good guy," Mingyu confessed, "but it's hard to tell with the facade you put up. Now, let's get you back to your apartment. I'm sure you don't want to keep Minghao waiting."

-

Minghao emerged from the bathroom, attempting to silence his footsteps. He didn't want to scare Junhui, but he also didn't want to talk to him. Maybe not that. He just didn't know what to say.

"You don't have to keep quiet you know," Junhui said without looking back.

Minghao swallowed hard. Junhui stood up a little too quickly for Minghao's taste. He panicked on the inside, worried that Junhui would pass out just like he had earlier. Junhui gave him a reassuring smile.

"Follow me," Junhui said.

Junhui led Minghao back into his bedroom and out through a glass door to the left of Junhui's bed. There was a small wiry bench that faced the land behind of the building. Since the front of the building faced the front of the campus, the porch had a view of the city. Junhui invited Minghao to sit down and left to go grab something.

Minghao didn't have many opportunities to look at the city at night. He was almost always in the dorm studying or watching a movie with Mingyu or some of his other friends. He didn't like exploring the city much, especially at night. Much of it remained unfamiliar to him, and the uncertainty made him timid.

Junhui returned with a large blanket and sat down next to Minghao. He motioned for Minghao to cover himself with the blanket.

"Have you ever stayed up to watch the sunrise?" Junhui grinned.

"Not since I was a kid. Is that what's going on here?"

Junhui laughed. Minghao was glad that he was acting a little more normal. He didn't think he would have been able to take an awkward silence, especially if Junhui was moping around. Even so, Minghao was anxious still. He wanted to be friendly to Junhui so that it wouldn't be obvious to him that something was going on, but he didn't want to be so friendly that Junhui thought he was flirting with him.

Minghao was focused on the beauty of the scenery surrounding them when Junhui broke the mood with the strangest question.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Junhui didn't look over at Minghao when he asked it. Minghao was stunned, and suddenly the panic he felt earlier came back but even stronger.

"I mean, I don't think I've ever been in love," Minghao said shyly. He said it quietly but wished he said it louder so it would cover up the pounding of his heart. He swore he felt the chair shaking beneath him.

"Really?" Junhui marveled. "You seem like the emotional type."

Minghao fidgeted with his hands under the blanket.

"In a good way," Junhui insisted. "It's actually really sweet."

"I—what do you mean?"

"When I got up earlier, I could tell you got nervous. Were you worried that I was going to faint right then and there?"

Embarrassed, Minghao told him that was the case.

"Don't worry so much, Minghao. I feel a lot better thanks to you." Junhui gave him a nudge under the blanket.

Minghao wished that Junhui would stop being so nice. He hated himself for having such a thought; he loved the attention and he knew it. Minghao knew that Junhui was simply being kind because he'd come over to help him, but due to his lack of sleep, Minghao decided to let himself think that Junhui would've acted differently were it someone else sitting next to him on his porch.

"Why'd you ask?"

"Mingyu asked me before we came back here," Junhui admitted.

Minghao didn't understand how that was an explanation for Junhui bringing it up now, let alone why it was brought up between Mingyu and Junhui.

The sun wasn't close to rising, but Minghao felt a strong sense of familiarity. On summer mornings when he was a young boy, Minghao would climb up on his roof and wait for the sun to warm his skin. The shingles left his hands calloused, but it was always worth it.

"Do you miss home?" Minghao asked.

"Not as much as I used to," Junhui said. "The feelings of homesickness were a lot greater when I was younger. It doesn't bother me as much anymore."

Minghao nodded, and the both of them stayed silent while they admired the view. Minghao didn't know what time it was or what time the sun was supposed to rise. He leaned his head back against the side of the building and stared up at the overhang. His body was numb from fatigue, and his eyelids shut like broken blinds. He felt himself go in and out of consciousness.

Minghao didn't dream of home that night. He didn't have to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> despite my efforts to release things sooner, this is still late. i'm very busy, and updating regularly has been proven difficult. thank you everyone for all of the support <3


	10. i wish i cared, it’s a good thing i don’t

Junhui wondered why he stayed up all night. He could've gone to sleep in his bed and let Minghao sleep on the couch or vice versa. Instead he sat outside with Minghao thinking that waiting for the sun to rise would be a good idea. Maybe it was the fact that he had to boost his confidence; he had become self-conscious post the phone call Mingyu had with Minghao as well as the incident while Minghao was bandaging his cuts. If he had just gone to sleep, the insecurity would bubble over in the morning. It needed to be overcome as soon as possible, and that's exactly what he did. Junhui needed to regain control of the situation.

Minghao didn't stay awake for long though, and Junhui watched the sunrise by himself. He looked over at Minghao who was sleeping peacefully despite the beams of sunlight touching his face. The bags and dark circles beneath his eyelids were even more visible now. Junhui knew Minghao had been working nonstop for the past few days because Mingyu had brought it up. Junhui had underestimated how much sleep Minghao had lost and only became aware of it then. 

While Junhui looked at him, he was rushed with a flood of emotion. It was bittersweet.

-

Minghao woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. It had fallen out of his pocket while he was sleeping, and as he sat up to look for it, he noticed Junhui was gone. He wasn't quite sure where he was, but he put the thought to the side as he picked up the phone.

"Oh, so you are alive," Mingyu joked as Minghao accepted the call. "I wasn't sure if you were ever coming home."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Minghao asked.

"It's two in the afternoon," Mingyu informed him. 

Minghao was surprised that he slept that long. He told Mingyu that he would be back shortly and hung up. As Minghao stood up from the bench, his body screamed out in pain. He was glad that he got some rest, but he wished that it would've been on something more comfortable. He walked inside and called Junhui's name, but there was no response. There were clothes sitting folded on a counter in the kitchen, of which he recognized as his own. Minghao must have forgotten them here some time ago. He picked them up and showed himself out, lazily walking home.

-

"You look like a disaster," Mingyu told Minghao once he opened the door.

Mingyu was right: Minghao's clothes were wrinkled and his hair was a ruffled mess. Minghao sat down across from Mingyu. It was clear that there was an elephant in the room that was making the environment tense. They both opened their mouths at the same time, but the words spilled out of Mingyu's faster.

"I'm moving out of the dorm," Mingyu revealed. That wasn't where Minghao thought the conversation would go.

"What? Where are you going?" Minghao said, shocked.

"I'm moving into Wonwoo's apartment."

Minghao wished he was surprised that it was Wonwoo, but he wasn't in the slightest.

"When?"

"I'm going to be staying with him starting tonight, but I'll be taking my stuff over gradually."

Minghao tried his hardest to be understanding. He knew how much Mingyu liked Wonwoo, even if he wouldn't admit it, but it still hurt. Minghao remembered the night of the party that he was dragged to, how he left early yet was confronted by Junhui. _Hopefully they don't leave you behind_. 

-

Minghao spent his first night without his first night without a roommate lying on his bed in solitude. Overcome by an overcast sky, not a single star could be seen shining in the sky. He stared at the ceiling, thinking about whether or not he should call someone over to avoid the impending loneliness. Minghao thought about the friend he had when he was young, the only person other than Mingyu that he had ever been close to.

Minghao sat up and started searching his closet. He wasn't sure if he had washed his clothes after picking them up at Junhui's. He looked through his clean clothes before moving to a hamper full of clothes that were washed but had yet to be folded. It was in the green basket that Minghao found what he was looking for.

The black jeans were still damp when he lifted them out of the hamper and reached into the pockets nervously. He pulled out a small paper card with obvious water damage. The print on it was smeared but not to the point that it was illegible. He sat down on the ground and leaned against his bed, reaching for his phone. Minghao unlocked it, typed a few things in, and brought the phone up to his ear. 

"Wen Junhui," Minghao said. "Have you ever been in love?"

-

The fact Junhui got a phone call from Minghao was almost equally as shocking to the question he asked. Junhui hesitated to process everything.

"Yes, I have," he finally answered. 

"What was it like?" Minghao sounded genuinely curious, but there was something hidden behind that.

"It was nice. I was happy almost all of the time," Junhui recalled, keeping it simple. "Is there a reason that you're wondering?"

"Because I have."

"You've what?"

"Been in love."

Junhui didn't say a word. After a while, it became apparent that Minghao wasn't planning on saying anything either.

"Are you okay, Minghao?" Junhui prodded. 

Junhui's heart dropped the second he heard Minghao hiccup. He couldn't see Minghao, but he didn't have to see him to know there were tears rolling down his face.

"What's wrong?" Junhui asked gently.

"I'm _alone_ , Junhui. Mingyu's gone," Minghao rasped. 

Junhui's mind put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. _Being in love? Minghao crying about Mingyu over the phone?_ His heart ached.

Minghao rambled on, telling Junhui that Mingyu was moving out with him and in with Wonwoo. He kept talking about him, but Junhui stopped paying attention to what he was saying. He already knew who was being spoken of, and he wanted no part of it.

Minghao stopped talking and took a breath.

"Can you come over?"

-

Junhui felt embarrassed for himself. Minghao called him up, crying over another guy, yet Junhui crawled over the moment Minghao asked him to.

Junhui regretted everything. Absolutely everything. He regretted walking over to Minghao at Soonyoung's party. He most especially regretted letting himself get close to Minghao ever since.

Junhui felt nauseous as he knocked on Minghao's door. He wanted to turn around and go home. He wished he had the courage to tell Minghao no when he asked.

The moment the door unlocked, Minghao threw his arms around Junhui and embraced him in a hug. He was sobbing into Junhui's shoulder. Junhui was completely taken aback by Minghao's actions.

Junhui coaxed Minghao back into his dorm, where he sat him down on his couch. Minghao was still teary eyed, cheeks tomato-red and puffy. Junhui gave him tissues for his runny nose and sat down next to him.

Neither of them breathed a word. The only sound was the quiet, rhythmical hum of the heating system. Minghao stared at the ceiling while Junhui focused on the ground. 

Junhui was sure that Minghao would be out like a light given some time. His eyes were likely dry and exhausted from the work they'd been doing. Soon enough, they would be at peace. Junhui had decided that once that time came he would sneak out and go back home. Minghao's breathing was starting to slow, gradually becoming steady. 

As Junhui's hand rested on a cushion, he started feeling a vibration. He stuck his hand in his pockets to look for his phone, but it wasn't his that was ringing: Minghao's phone was buzzing away next to him. The contact information clearly showed that Mingyu was giving Minghao a ring. Junhui's eyes flicked up to Minghao, whose eyes were closed. Junhui grabbed Minghao's phone and stepped off into a separate room and closed the door. He answered the phone.

"Minghao?" Mingyu asked.

"Try again."

"Junhui? Why do you have Minghao's phone?" Mingyu blurted.

"He's asleep. He called me over crying, you know," Junhui remarked bitterly.

"Who do you think you are, Junhui? Some hero? You didn't have to go over. In fact, you probably shouldn't have," Mingyu argued.

"I'm here cleaning up your mess. I didn't want to come over here, not when he's on the couch beating himself up over _you_." Junhui's tone became increasingly upset.

"You don't like that, do you? You don't like hearing him talking about someone else."

Junhui had to take a moment to regain his composure. "No," he whispered. "I don't."

Mingyu sighed at the end of the line. 

"Look, Junhui, I have no idea what's going on between you and Minghao," he began. "I'm sorry that he's upset, it wasn't my intention for him to hurt."

"Yeah," Junhui breathed.

Junhui heard another voice, one that didn't belong to Mingyu. Eventually he heard Mingyu's voice cut in, providing a muted response to the other. Junhui was sure the other person was Wonwoo, but there was no guarantee. 

"I won't call again."

The line went dead. Junhui exhaled and paced around the room. Mingyu seemed to know too much. He had been sure of it for a while, but he couldn't figure out whether Mingyu was an ally or an enemy. Junhui ran his hand through his hair and sighed, pushing the door back open.

"Junhui?"

Minghao was sitting exactly how he was when Junhui left the room. His face was parallel to the ceiling, eyes gazing up.

"Yeah?"

"Can you come here?" Minghao's voice lacked interest. 

Each step Junhui took seemed to last a lifetime. Minghao didn't redirect his eyes towards Junhui as he walked by.

Junhui sat down next to Minghao, timid. Minghao finally sat upright, giving Junhui a hollow expression. Junhui panicked, refusing to meet Minghao's eye. Minghao placed his hand on Junhui's cheek. He winced slightly at the touch. 

The bandage Minghao had put on just the night before had been removed. To Minghao's pleasure, Junhui had cleaned the wound himself despite the bandage not being replaced. 

Minghao turned Junhui's face towards him and leaned in. Junhui tried looking for something in Minghao's eyes but ended up only looking through him. Minghao came closer and hovered.

Junhui desperately wanted to close the gap between them, but Minghao's intentions weren't the same as his own. Minghao wrapped his arms around Junhui, pulling him into an embrace.

"You should go home," Minghao said into Junhui's ear.

Junhui pushed Minghao away from him. Minghao smiled softly, drawing attention away from a tear running down his cheek. 

"What do you mean?" Junhui stammered.

"I heard you. You don't want to be here, so I won't keep you here."

"Minghao, I—."

Minghao picked himself up off of the couch and moved towards the door. He waited there while Junhui watched him helplessly. Once Minghao opened the door, Junhui knew he had no choice in this matter. He gathered himself and met Minghao at the door.

Junhui stepped out into the hallway.

"Wait, Mingha—."

Junhui's pleas were interrupted as Minghao brought his hand up to Junhui's cheek once again. Without hesitation, Minghao brought his lips to his. 

The saltiness of Minghao's tears lingered on his lips having not yet been dry. His lips were plush, delicate even. The kiss was innocent but not entirely short-lived. When it ended, Junhui found himself resisting the urge to kiss Minghao again. Minghao gave him the same soft smile he had earlier.

"Goodnight, Jun," he said.

The door closed. Junhui regretted everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> updates are now on a when-i-can basis...hopefully it won’t be as irregular as this update! anyway, things are heating up folks!


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